


Circling the Sun

by ereshai



Series: Check, Please! 12 Days of Christmas 2016 [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Attraction, Cookies, Day 2: Kiss Under the Mistletoe, Internal Monologue, Kissing, M/M, Mistletoe, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 11:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8841970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ereshai/pseuds/ereshai
Summary: Derek thinks about Dex. A lot.





	

Derek thinks about Dex a lot. He writes about Dex a lot, too, but he can never find just the right words to encompass his significance, to make the reader feel the weight of him. It’s like Dex is the sun and everything revolves around him.

Derek writes that down, as if he hasn’t used the sun as a metaphor for Dex before. If he ever shows those poems to anyone – he won’t, they’re too clichéd – they’ll assume the comparison is because of Dex’s hair. As if his hair is the only thing about him that shines.

“You look like you’re thinking pretty hard over there,” Dex says from across the table. His laptop is open in front of him, but he’s writing in a notebook. The kitchen smells like the sugar cookies Dex and Bitty are baking. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

“What kind of weak ass chirp was that?” Dex just snorts. Derek likes that they’re friends now. Or friendly at least. He can’t always figure out what’s going on in Dex’s head. He hopes that Dex thinks they’re friends, too. Yeah, Derek would like to be more than friends, but friends is better than what they used to be. Sometimes Derek thinks he sees Dex _looking_ at him, but that might be wishful thinking. He used to be better at ignoring wishful thinking. It was easier when he could pretend nothing bothered him, ever.

Derek wants to know everything about Dex now. Like what does Dex’s family call him at home? William? Will? Billy? They all work but none of them really fit; he’s just… Dex. Derek wants to ask, but Dex would never give up information with such epic chirp potential.  Especially not to Derek. But Derek just wants to know, to file it away alongside Dex’s favorite color (stormcloud gray) and his favorite snack (potato chips, but only, like, the weird flavors).

Dex gets up to check the cookies in the oven. Derek watches him, his head bent over his paper. He watches Dex a lot; he tries not to be creepy. He likes the way Dex moves, confidently, without a lot of wasted motion. And well, he’d be lying if he said Dex’s looks had nothing to do with it.

Dex comes back to the table and Derek looks down at his paper. It’s all nonsense.

“Have a cookie.”

“Thanks.” Derek takes a bite as Dex sits down. It’s from the last batch, and it’s still slightly warm. He watches Dex as he chews, noticing the way his brow wrinkles as he concentrates and how he bites at his bottom lip.

This is getting out of hand.

Derek gets to work turning his nonsense words into something he can actually share during class. Maybe he can do something with the sun metaphor. Dex _is_ the sun, not a solid stationary thing, but hurtling through the universe with everything spiraling in his wake, trying to keep up. Or maybe that’s just Derek.

One day he’ll find something else to write about.

The words flow – finally – and when he stops writing, the counter is clear, with no cookies to be seen except for the ones on the baking tray Bitty is taking out of the oven. Dex is still at his laptop. Derek stands up and stretches, working the kinks out of his whole body. He massages his writing hand.

“This is the last batch,” Bitty says. He's efficiently transferring each cookie from the tray to the cooling racks. “You two let these be for a bit. If you just can’t help yourselves, take the ones in the cookie tin.” He points at the small box on the counter.

“That’s all of the cookies?”

“That’s all that are available,” Bitty says with a sniff. “I’m saving the rest.”

“Chill, Bitty, I only wanted a couple.” As soon as Bitty leaves the kitchen, he opens the tin. “Yo, Dex, another cookie?”

Dex looks up from his laptop, blinking rapidly. “Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks.”

Instead of waiting for Derek to bring it to him, Dex stands up and stretches much like Derek had. Derek absently follows the line of his body. He’s thought more than once about how Dex would feel against him, touching him with those hands…

Derek looks away. Cookies. They’re having cookies.

Dex walks toward him. Ignoring the cookies, he stops inches away from Derek. Dex reaches up and cups Derek’s face, then leans in and kisses him gently.

“Uh?” Derek says when Dex takes a step back.

Dex takes the cookie from his hand. “Mistletoe,” he says, pointing above Derek’s head.

“What?” Derek’s brain is coming back to reality, but it’s taking a while. “Why… who?”

“Bitty asked me to put it up. Jack’s coming to visit.”

“Oh. So…”

“Gotta make sure it works, right?” Dex winks at him, fucking _winks_ at him, and goes back to his laptop like nothing happened.

Oh, it is on.

“What kind of weak ass kiss was that?”

Dex’s head shoots up. Derek smirks at him. Dex’s eyes narrow.

This time, Dex almost lunges at him. Derek catches him and then they’re kissing again. Derek loses himself in the feel of Dex’s lips on his, their bodies pressed together so tightly he can feel the thud of Dex’s heartbeat against his chest. Or maybe that’s just Derek’s.

“Better?” Dex says when he pulls away. He’s panting a little.

“A little,” Derek says. Dex scowls at him. “Chill, babe. Just means we should practice, right?”

“All right,” Dex says and gives him another kiss, gentle like the first one. “After we’re done with our homework.”


End file.
